Banana pancakes for a slow breakfast

A ripe banana adds sweetness and softness to pancake batter, but too much fruit can make the centre wet and difficult to cook. This recipe balances one medium banana with flour, milk and an egg. Keep the pancakes small and use moderate heat. A dark outside is not evidence that the middle has finished cooking.

Ingredients for about eight small pancakes

Use one medium ripe banana, about 100 g peeled; one egg; 100 g plain flour; one teaspoon baking powder; 100 ml milk; and one tablespoon neutral oil, plus a little for the pan. A pinch of cinnamon is optional. Allow 25 minutes. Have a non-stick frying pan, a spatula and a warm plate ready before mixing.

Mix without overworking

Mash the banana thoroughly in a bowl, leaving only small soft lumps. Beat in the egg, milk and tablespoon of oil. In another bowl, stir the flour and baking powder together. Add the dry mixture to the wet and fold until no dry flour remains. Stop there; prolonged beating makes the batter less tender.

The mixture should fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon. If it is extremely stiff, add milk one tablespoon at a time. If the banana was unusually large and the batter is runny, a little more flour can help, but measuring the fruit at the start is more reliable than correcting a very different ratio later.

Use the first pancake as a heat check

Warm the pan over a medium-low heat and wipe it with a little oil. Spoon in small rounds of batter, leaving space for the spatula. Cook for roughly two to three minutes, until the edges look set and bubbles appear on the surface. Turn carefully and cook the second side for another two minutes or so, adjusting the heat as needed.

Cut the first pancake open to check that the centre is set rather than wet batter. If it browns before setting, lower the heat and make the next rounds smaller. Do not press pancakes flat with the spatula. Transfer cooked ones to the warm plate and continue, lightly oiling the pan when necessary. Never taste raw batter containing uncooked flour or egg.

Serving and saving

Serve with sliced banana, yoghurt or a little maple syrup. The pancakes already contain fruit, so begin with a modest topping. If feeding several people, double the recipe only if your pan space can handle the extra cooking time; otherwise the first batch will wait while the last is still raw.

Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate in a covered container and use within 48 hours. Alternatively, freeze cooled pancakes in separated layers so you can take out a small portion. Reheat until hot throughout, checking the middle rather than only the surface. A microwave makes them softer; a covered pan over gentle heat can preserve more of the outside texture.

For future batches, note the banana's size and the heat setting that worked in your pan. These small details affect the result more than adding extra baking powder. Very dark, thin pancakes usually need lower heat or thicker batter, not more leavening.